Zalma�: Return, Afghanistan

For more than a quarter of a century, Afghanistan has been ravaged by war, drought and famine. In this magnificent volume, Afghan-born photographer Zalmai returns home after 23 years in exile to rediscover his homeland at a crucial moment of transition. Working in rich color, and frequently using a panoramic format that embraces the vastness of the sky and sand, Zalmai immerses us in the ravaged landscape and the bustle of reconstruction. �My project tries to capture the resilience of a people who have rarely known peace, their optimism in the face of overwhelming odds and the very real worry that the country remains on a knife-edge and could easily slip back into a nightmare from which it is still trying to escape.�